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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Victoria for 2026. Melbourne leads with a cost index of 124 and rent of $2,750/month.
Melbourne ranks #1 with a cost index of 124 and rent of $2,750/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 116 (+3 vs national average of 113).
Average quality of life: 62/100. Top: Melbourne at 62/100.
Safest city: Geelong (68/100 safety score).
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Melbourne stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 124 and median income of $84,500, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Melbourne leads with a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (64), healthcare (84), and walkability (80) metrics. Zooming out, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Melbourne — cost index 124, rent $2,750/mo, income $84,500, QoL 62/100.
Geelong — cost index 107, rent $2,050/mo, income $72,000, QoL 62/100.
Melbourne ranks #1 in Victoria for this analysis with a cost index of 124 and median income of $84,500.
The region average QoL score is 63/100. Melbourne leads with 62/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include ABS, CoreLogic, ATO.
Melbourne (ranked #1) has a cost index of 124 and rent of $2,750/mo. Geelong (#2) has index 107 and rent $2,050/mo — a 17-point gap.
This analysis uses data from ABS, CoreLogic, ATO to rank cities in Australia. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.